Aspen Skiing Company Makes Green Snow

Aspen Skiing Company must have a big, structurally sound wall somewhere. They’d need it, just to hang all the awards they’ve won in the past 8 or so years, including one we noted here. And we’re not talking about awards for speedy descents down the piste, rather for climbing the mountain of environmental responsibility. They had one of the first dozen LEED approved buildings (bronze level) in the US, which used 30% windpower and salvaged 86% of deconstruction waste. They have since completed a new silver level LEED building. This one is features "100% wind power, sustainably harvested wood, recycled carpet, and dual flush toilets." It also utilises a heating/cooling technology that taps a local pond. Their Employee Environment Foundation has donated over $750,000 USD to worthy causes and become the model for employee initiatives in other businesses. This time last year Aspen Skiing Company (ASC) claimed the scalp of becoming the first American ski resort to be certified under the international standard for environmental management: ISO 14001. ASC publish a eco newsletter for staff and also have a downloadable Environmnental Policy which clearly shows their progress to date,warts and all. It even details the resorts CO2 emissions per skier/boarder (0.021 ton). Their achievements are so widely acknowledged, ASC have even been able to offer a consultancy service to share the lessons learnt. Oh, and one for the revheads, ASC annually purchase about $50,000 USD of the B20 blend of biodiesel for their snowcats. ::Aspen Skiing Company: Environment

Aspen Skiing Company Makes Green Snow

Aspen Skiing Company must have a big, structurally sound wall somewhere. They’d need it, just to hang all the awards they’ve won in the past 8 or so years, including one we noted here. And we’re not talking about awards for speedy descents down the